ChinaX Transcript Week 6-Competing Schools and Warring States
Not quite there yet - Digital Himalayahimalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/nepali...still...
Transcript of Not quite there yet - Digital Himalayahimalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/nepali...still...
#274 25 November - 1 December 2005 16 pages Rs 30
Weekly Internet Poll # 275. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.comQ..... Do you agree with the party-Maoistaccord on an election to a constituentassembly?
Weekly Internet Poll # 274
Q..... How do you rate the chances of a party-Maoist alliance restoring peace?
Total votes:4,677
n the face of it, the 12-pointaccord between theopposition parties and the
Maoists appears to be abreakthrough but analysts saythere are still significant pointswhere the two sides don’t agree.
The compromise by the partieswas on the issue of constituentassembly in return for the Maoistsagreeing to decommission armsunder UN supervision in a run-upto it (See p 6 for full text ofagreement).
However, some experts say theconstituent assembly election is amajor sticking point between theparties and the rebles. Also thepalace-army combine will neveragree to it.
“It’s a mirage, it’s never goingto happen,” constitutional lawyerGanesh Raj Sharma told us. “Theconditions for the elections of aconstituent assembly in theagreement are so vague that onecan’t see when it will evermaterialise.”
The government’s firstreaction to the party-rebel alliancewas surprisingly muted. Theking’s trusted foreign minister,Ramesh Nath Pandey, toldreporters at the airport onWednesday on return from Tunis:“It doesn’t mater who restorespeace, as long as it is restored."His colleague, InformationMinister Tanka Dhakal was lessdiplomatic but even he said thatthe government was 'studying' theagreement.
Since both ministers werewith the king before his Africansafari, they must reflect themonarch’s mindset. In fact, thereare indications the king wasbriefed about the impendingagreement before he left last week.
It is the hardline royal rightthat is most outraged. The king’sadviser and former commander-in-chief Satchit SJB Rana on
Wednesday lashed out at the 12-point agreement, calling it'unnatural'. It is clear that thepalace considers a constituentassembly election as synonymouswith republic and a no-go.Furthermore, the main hurdlestill remains because this is notyet an agreement between the twowarring sides.
All eyes are now on the kingand his scheduled return on 2December, the same day theMaoist unilateral ceasefire is dueto expire. Will he listen to hishardline advisers or respond tohis increasing internationalisolation? Will the Maoistsextend the ceasefire? Will thearmy reciprocate?
The reaction from theinternational community hasbeen cautious optimism. The UNSecretary -General saidWednesday he was 'carefully
studying the details' of theagreement and he was 'ready toassist in any manner that wouldhelp bring about a peacefulresolution of the conflict'.
The Americans and theIndians seem to be in closetouch. But New Delhi, which hasbeen the most vocal opponent ofUN involvement, reactedguardedly: ‘India believes thatall outstanding issues ought tobe resolved through the efforts ofthe people of Nepal themselvesand that the role of theinternational community shouldbe limited to support theseefforts.’
Without a UN role, there willbe no constituent assemblyelections and the parties willboycott all polls under thisregime. For Sharma, all thispoints to continued deadlockdespite the 12-point agreement.
“It means Nepalis will bedeprived of their right to vote foran indefinite period and that inturn means power will continueto remain in the hands of thepalace and our neighbours,” headded.
The only point that makessome hopeful is that theagreement paves the way for therebels toenterpeacefulmainstreampolitics. Under pressure frompolitical figures in India, theMaoists don’t seem to have muchof a choice.
And the Indian statementdoesn’t miss this point: ‘Itremains to be seen whetherMaoists are genuinely prepared tolive up to their commitments andrefrain from acts of violence andextortion.’
BRIDGE TOO FAR: The bridge at Simli in Rukum had a fresh Maoist banner this week that read, ‘Let’s form aunited front among the NCP (Maoist), the seven party alliance and civil society to mobilise public opinion infavour of an interim government, constituent assembly and democratic republic.’
NAVIN SINGH KHADKA
Not quite there yetThe constituent assembly could still create problems andthe party-rebel accord leaves out a warring side
Editorial p2Ten years is enough
PRAKASH JWALA
O
2 25 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #274EDITORIAL
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STATE OF THE STATECK Lal
GUEST COLUMNJemima Sherpa
n the first week of August, afamiliar face jumped out at mefrom the usual chaos of
student notice boards. The posterthat caught my eye wasdisarmingly simple, just blue,black and white in a format I’dseen before. Those, however, I’d
barely registered—one showing acorpulent, bespectacled RobertMugabe, another with Burma’sGeneral Than Shwe. This wasdifferent.
“I come from one of those places that you readabout and shake your head”
Between Mugabe and ShweI found myself staring at
the familiar frowning visage ofNepal’s King Gyanendra. Thesimplicity of the two-tonedline drawing, his sagging jowlsand puffy eyes traced in blackand white on slightly grainypaper took me back to years ofNepali classes, through pagesof badly edited government-issue textbooks with theirillustrations supportingconstructs of a country andlanguage that somehow neverquite matched up to what Icould see or comprehend.
I’ve never been able todecide if other Nepalis herehave this same gut reactionwhen they find themselvesface-to-face with somethingfrom places they call home.I’ve come to suspect that formost the answer is probablyno. For Nepalis, seeing thingsyou recognise is never ascommon as it must be for theAmericans or English or evenChinese and Indians spendingtime abroad. In fact, homesickNepalis tend to wallow bywatching Bollywood movies,the closest we can get to thefamiliar this far away. For us,glimpses of home are rare inthe western world, and onesthat show us a bit of the Nepalwe recognise—rather than aone-dimensional touristparadise or third world hell-hole—are even rarer.
Still, this AmnestyInternational poster confrontedme with a reality I’d neverfully comprehended before: Icome from one of those places!One of those places that youread about and shake your head
nlike the emptiness in westernphilosophy, sunyata in Vedicthought is full of infinite potential.
On the surface, the current stalemate inNepal may be unnerving but we also standon the threshold of immense change thatwill irreversibly transform the Nepalipolity.
True, the state is still in a state ofsuspended animation. Everyone is waitingfor something to happen, but nobody
wants tomakethe firstmove.
The king has made his intentionsabundantly clear: he wants a system wherehis word will be the law. Defending theconstitutionality of the RCCC, the royalattorney general argued in the SupremeCourt early this week that the rights of aHindu king were almost limitless. But thecloak of constitutionality, howsoever thin,is too precious for the palace to discard. Tosave face, the royalists are pretending thatthe 4 October, 2002 takeover didn’t create aconstitutional vacuum. But they are
Is peace really breaking out?
over while skimming themorning paper, one of thoseplaces that people hand outflyers and petitions andbooklets to ‘save’, one of thoseplaces that has been in ‘crisis’for so long and so often that itceases to shock and surprise.
Outside of our borders, theculmination of centuries ofNepali history, over 200 years ofa monarchy, a failing fledglingdemocracy and a nine-year civilwar are reduced to in this poster:evaluating our landlockedcountry and controversial kingagainst a simple list:Abductions, check. Torture,check. Disappearances, check.Rape, check.
Just that week, I’d met acouple from Zimbabwe throughsome mutual friends, one ofthose odd Saturday afternoontwists of chance. I listened tothe woman talk of life since sheand her husband came here threeyears ago, forced by factors I canonly imagine. At the door, shepaused and said, almost as anafterthought, “I’ve been here toolong without going home.”
‘Amnesty InternationalFreedom Week’, read the posteron the wall, echoed by an almostidentical one of Mugabe a fewfeet away. ‘You Have TheFreedom To Choose. MillionsDon’t’.
It’s strange how a badlysketched face and three tickedboxes can say so much and yetso little about lives lefthundreds of miles behind.Glancing around, I quicklypulled it down and carefullyslid it between my notes as Iwalked away.
If it doesn’t, we will know who wrecked itclutching at straws now.
Maoists are firm in their resolve tolet the constituent assembly decidethe future of the country. But theirleadership seems to be uncertain aboutwhether the rank-and-file will acceptthis. For all their bravado, the Maoistleadership lacks the courage to make acomplete break with its blood-stainedpast. But if they can claim that this isvictory in negotiations, there is noreason why the commanders will notaccept an exit strategy to end thepointless war.
The mainstream parties haverealised the futility of their delayingtactics. They too know that nothingless than a new compact with thepeople can break the present deadlock.But leadership has never been thestrong point of either Girija PrasadKoirala or Madhab Kumar Nepal. Bothare better at reacting to decisions madeby others. They, too, are waiting forsomeone else to hasten the process ofreconciliation between the insurgentsand the mainstreamers.
With bureaucracy controlled,academia strictly monitored,professionals emasculated, mediamuffled, courts confused and NGOsthreatened, Nepal’s nascent civil societyfinds its voice too weak to make animpact. Lately, even peace and conflictexperts have begun to speak in carefullycalibrated tones. They are unlikely toquestion the relevance of the king’sAfrican odyssey at taxpayer’s expense,the Maoist’s hesitancy to extend theunilateral ceasefire for an indefiniteperiod, or the reluctance of themainstream parties to accept aconstituent assembly without ifsand buts.
All major stakeholders are twiddlingtheir thumbs and creating diversions tohide their nervousness. Incapable ofending individual and collectivehumiliation on their own, each wantsan outside facilitator to rescue themfrom their predicament. Sincehelplessness is hard to accept,pretensions have become their armourof compulsion.
The chairmen of the council ofministers are engaged in orchestratingmunicipal elections to divertinternational attention. The Maoists areholding talks and biding time. Theparties are staging symbolic rallies todisplay their prowess. Civil society isengaging donors to save its existence. Toend all this grandstanding andindecision some form of outsideintervention has become inescapable. TheMaoist supremo has been most forthrightin accepting the importance of theparticipation of a ‘dependableinternational community’ indisentangling the royal knot in Nepal.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal has hinted he isready to take the plunge if an atmosphereconducive to peace is created by all for asafe landing of their cadre. Should peacebreak out in the near future, we nowknow who we should be grateful to. Evenmore importantly, if hurdles are placedon the road to truce, it will not bedifficult to pinpoint the blame.
So we are poised between sunyata andinfinity. It’s everything or nothing.
TEN YEARS IS ENOUGHLabelling those with divergent views as ‘anti-national’ is the last
resort of scoundrels. It is also the time-honoured practice in
autocratic societies to crack down on dissidents by invoking
‘national security’. When nothing else works, when rulers want
absolute power at all cost, dictators everywhere prefer this
method.
The royal regime is going out of its way to mock the 12-point
agreement between the mainstream parties and the underground
Maoists by playing up the foreign location of its creation to call
the parties ‘anti-national’. As we said in this space last week, we
believe the venue is not an issue. Peace, democracy and
sovereignty are, and anything that takes us there is ok with us.
Even if there was outside facilitation, what’s wrong with that?
If we can’t fix it ourselves why not let others do it for us? That is
called enlightened self-interest. Besides, there is nothing new
about Nepali political figures using trips to India: King Tribhuban
himself slipped off to New Delhi in 1950 to reinstate the Shah
dynasty and bring democracy.
These were Nepali political parties and Nepali rebels trying
to find a solution to a homegrown revolution. The underground
rebel group appears to have been persuaded after 10
years of futile conflict to join the political mainstream,
accept multiparty democracy, and work towards
decommissioning their weapons under international
supervision.
We should be celebrating this breakthrough. After
all, it was only a question of time before the comrades
backtracked. We have repeatedly stressed that the
ideal outcome would have been unity between the king
and the parties, but February First slammed the door
on that one.
The thing to do now is to push for an extension of
the ceasefire in order for the Maoists to convince the
public that they have negotiated in good faith. After all,
given the way past ceasefires have ended, we can’t
trust the Maoists. But we have to test them. Then the
other armed side needs to come on board, and one
urgent confidence-building measure would be for the
army to reciprocate the extension of the ceasefire.
By keeping the door ajar on the monarchy the
party-Maoist document offers a face-saving way for
the king to rollback his takeover and return to a
constitutional role. For his own sake, for the sake of
his dynasty and the kingdom, we urge the monarch to
take up this offer and ensure his continuity. It’s his last
chance for voluntary devolution. After this, it is
unlikely there will be very many more offers. The
writing on the wall has never been as stark as this.
The nation has come to another fork on the road.
The wrong turn will take us into a ruinous civil war.
The right turn is the path to peace, democracy and
development. Ten years is enough.
U
I
325 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #274
LLLLL E T T E R SE T T E R SE T T E R SE T T E R SE T T E R SFATIGUECK Lal has never tried to hide his views on the army.
However, he seems to be extra vitriolic in his latest column
(‘Military fatigue’, #273) about the Jaleswor incident, probably
because his own community was mistreated by the army. In
future I hope Lal realises that soldiers for the last four to five
years have been fighting the insurgency non-stop, being far
away from their near and dear ones and without any dasain
or tihar or any form of leave. It is easy to write, Mr Lal, but
it is much tougher to be in the army. Please show some
sympathy to them once in a while and be more mellow in
your choice of words.
Dr Amrit KC, Bishalnagar
All you journalists ever see is the negative. Does CK Lal
realise that if it was not for these very frustrated, untrained
soldiers you would either be wearing a green uniform or
killed. Let’s give the RNA some credit. They lay down their
lives to protect the country from a ruthless enemy. It can’t
be easy killing fellow Nepalis on Nepali soil. They are in
constant danger and all the good that they do goes
unnoticed. I want to take this oppurtunity to thank all the
soldiers of the RNA for doing what they are doing. No army
is perfect we have seen this in Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq but
every soldier knows his duty and they join the armed forces
to protect the very people who criticise them. I feel sick of
you journalists. How would you feel if you were out there at
the front facing an enemy that wants to destroy our nation?
May Goddess Kali shower her blessings on every soldier of
the RNA.
Name withheld, email
Good thing we still have commentators in this country
like CK Lal who have the courage and foresight to warn us
about the dangers of alienating taraibasis. Mr Lal is telling the
RNA for its own good and for the future of this country that
it has to stop making excuses for excesses like the Jaleswor
incidents and human rights violations which are pushing the
country to the brink. While being forced to deploy in an
unwinnable guerrilla war, there is a danger the soldiers are
creating a bigger crisis with all the people they harass. A
action’s army can’t say: “They’re doing it, too, and so can
we.” As a state party, it has to be more responsible towards
all citizens and not just the mainstream community.
Jaganath Sharma, email
C K Lal is right in pointing out that it is tough for army
personnel in the tarai. But the way the soldiers are behaving,
it may be difficult to save their image. Last year, while
travelling with my dad on the highway soldiers at checkpoints
repeatedly used rude and unprintable words while addressing
my elderly father. And forget about ‘tapai’ or even ‘timi’, itwas ‘ta’ all the way. I was helpless before an armed
20-year-old soldier. Welcome to Nepal, I thought. How can
there be respect for human rights with an attitude like that?
If this guy was a bad apple, there seem to an awful lot of
bad apples out there. This year, I was in Delhi for a week on
transit to Nepal. My father asked me not to bring anything
apart from my clothes. He wanted me to leave even the
gifts elsewhere, in case I encountered unnecessary hassles
at the checkpoints. If you can’t differentiate between a
Maoist and an innocent citizen how are they going to fight
this war? And it’s the Maoists who declared a ceasefire, not
the forces who are supposed to protect and safeguard
citizens. Lord Pashupatinath has turned away. May someone
save Nepal. PS: Please do not disclose my name. I do not
want to jeopardise my family.
Name withheld, email
Although I used to be a supporter of the king, I am
having second thoughts about his blatant disregard for the
country and his choice of cronies, but I still feel that the
parties joining the Maoists is not the solution as you argue in
your editorial (‘Breakthrough in Delhi?’, #273). How can you
join forces with the Maoists when we all know that they do
not accept political pluralism? One can’t forget history–look
at Mao and Chang Khai Shek. They fought the Japanese
together and then Mao tried to backstab him. It is sad to see
the political parties falling into the trap of joining forces with
a party that has slaughtered their ranks for years just to get
power. Mr Girija Koirala is nothing but a power hungry, corrupt
politician (this goes for MK and all the rest of their buddies as
well). Don’t they have any remorse for all the party workers
whose blood has been spilt? They just want to join
mainstream politics because they know they have lost the
people’s support. The Maoists can’t be trusted, they will
eventually take up arms again until they have absolute
power. Baburam Bhattrai and Pushpa Kumar Dahal should
atone for all the lives they have taken. They should never be
allowed to join politics and should be tried in Tundikhel as
traitors and terrorists. And if the political parties join them
then they should be tried as well.
Name withheld, email
Your editorial shows how the Nepali Times has lost its
direction. Readers like us relied on your paper to reveal the
truth and show a direction during this turmoil and conflict but
it is now clear that you have eaten up everything that you
stood for and advocated. The very title is disgusting. India
has been a pure hypocrite towards Nepal with regard to the
Maoist problem, the Bhutani refugee problem, building dams
in border areas and interfering in politics. To expect that this
country will come up with something beneficial for Nepal is
pure stupid. I agree that the current government with its bad
policies and governance is the reason why the Nepali people
are still giving some space to the political parties. But what
the parties have done in aligning themselves with the
Maoists and India is completely in line with what they have
done in the past and what they represent. The parties are
the personification of corruption, immorality and power at
any cost. With this alliance, they are well on their way to
obtaining one more title: ‘terrorist’. Having lost all hopes of
getting to power by fooling the Nepali people again,
Madhab Nepal adopted the Maoist methodology of
terrorising when he said that there will be a big revolt and
bloodshed if this alliance does not have its way. The NepaliTimes would have done better if it had not echoed these
threats. With these forces at play, I do not want my name
revealed.
Name withheld, email
As long as brave Nepali gurujis like Narjit Basnet and
Dhan Bahadur Khadka profiled by Naresh Newar in his
excellent field report ‘Frontline teachers’ (#273) who have
have suffered being dismembered by Maoist butchers still
believe in the power of the pen over the barrel of the gun,
the Nepali younger generation will still have hope. I salute
all the Narjits and Dhan Bahadurs in Nepal for their
sacrifice.
Dhruba Khanal, email
GAGAN THAPANowadays when it seems like every Nepali with even
mediocre ambition is fleeing the country out of disgust with
the status quo, it is refreshing to know that there is a
young leader in Gagan Thapa who has an ambitious vision
for the country (‘The Gagan phenomenon’, #272). Sadly
however, the party that he is an asset for, as Dipta Shah
says, could also be his biggest obstacle to making a
significant leap to turn things around in the country. Mr
Thapa should realise that the Nepali Congress, with its
selfish agenda, hypocritical views and lame old leaders, has
severely lost its credibility with the Nepali people and that
his mere association with the party would hamper the
support that he has enjoyed from the younger generation.
The author suggests that Mr Thapa could be an asset for
the Congress party but perhaps he should also make sure
that the party is an asset for him as well and not a liability.
As the saying goes, ‘You can never fly with the eagles, if
you mess around with the turkeys’. Is this political party
with such a tarnished image a good vehicle to take him to
the next level or is it time for a vibrant new party under him
with some young blood and a concrete agenda?
Sushil Bogati, email
People may wish to view Gagan Thapa as an opponent
of the palace, Maoist extremism or democratic
mismanagement. One thing is clear: unlike the old
generation of politicians, including the king and other
leaders, Gagan Thapa pioneers a new kind of politics that
requires reasoning and examination. Some may feel
threatened that our history is being questioned by this
young leader. Our history has remained moulded by our
rulers for a long time. The future may be difficult to predict
but it is achievable only through understanding where we
came from. Other leaders may feel threatened because this
leader has the ability to think and speak intelligently.
D Mahat, email
NOT ROYALRegarding the article ‘Reviving Patan’s royal canal’ (#273)
I’d like to inform you that ‘Raj Kulo’ is a technical term
meaning ‘main’ or ‘trunk canal’ and has nothing to do with
royalty, even though it may in the past have had royal
patronage.
Girish Kharel, email
POORERThe mountains of far west Nepal have always held a
fascination for me so it was with an eager sense of
anticipation that I arrived in Jumla at the end of September.
I expected some ‘interaction’ with the Maoists but I was
unprepared for the events of the following weeks. Having
trekked all over Nepal I am familiar with the rhetoric and
practices of the Maoists so I was surprised to be detained
for two days in Sinja. However, after endless discussions
our small ‘donation’ of Rs 500 was surprisingly refunded
and we were free to go. The Maoists of Mugu were far less
friendly. Teenagers pointed rifles at us as they refused to
accept Prachanda or Baburam as their leaders: this was an
‘autonomous region’, Comrade Sagar insisted that we part
with Rs 18,000 at gunpoint. In Dolpo, Comrade Sagar’s
authority is not accepted and we found ourselves once
again having to plead our case. In Dho, the Maoists
boasted of how much money they make buying and selling
goods from China while they sit in the filthiest village in the
region. Again, we coughed up our final reserves and parted
with Rs 14,000. It is obvious that not a paisa will ever
reach the local communities in these regions: profiteering,
guns and ammunition are the only outlets for tourist
‘donations’. Consequently, I am appalled to hear trekkers in
Kathmandu comparing their souvenir ‘receipts’. But I am
equally upset by the extortionate trekking permit fees.
Where does the $ 90 Mugu fee go? Where does the $ 700
Upper Dolpo fee get spent? Certainly not in the regions that
we visited. If the government of Nepal wants to encourage
tourism to remote areas of this extraordinary country then
maybe it should consider how many ‘sticky fingers’ a
trekker’s pocket has to accommodate? And how about
making the fees in Kathmandu transparent? This may just
force the Maoists to do the same and just maybe, some
money will end up where it should be going: to the villagers
and VDCs. Yours, all the poorer,
Robin Boustead, Australia
4 25 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #274BUSINESS
he arithmetic just doesn’tadd up: the demand forelectricity will outstrip
supply at peak hour this winter.There is no other way for NepalElectricity Authority (NEA) todeal with it than load shedding.
While they may shed the load,however, it can’t shed the blame.Everyone knew this was coming,yet the government and the NEAdid nothing to pre-empt it byadding capacity or implementingdemand side management.
By mid-December the shortfallin peak-hour power supply in theevenings will be 10 megawatt(MW). By January, the deficit willbe 40 MW and could reach 54 MWby March. Even if new powerplants are added, at the ratedemand is increasing the powershortfall at peak hour in winterwill exceed 100 MW by 2010.
“The situation is quiteserious,” admits Soorya BahadurShrestha, corporate planningdirector at NEA, “we are trying ourbest to manage supply but loadshedding seems unavoidable fromJanuary and it will get worse inthe coming years.”
In fact, an unofficial loadshedding has already started. Theindustrial belt between Simaraand Birganj and other parts of thecountry are already sufferingunannounced power cuts. Butfor political reasons, Kathmanduis being spared. But not formuch longer.
In a controversial move, thegovernment recently appointedHarishchandra Shah as the new
managing director of NEA. Shahtold us he has a list of measuresto avert the power crisis:supplementing more than 20MWpeak power to the grid fromprivate businesses, importingmore power from India, cuttingoff power supply to billboards,and push sales of energy-savinglights to replace incandescentbulbs.
Even if these plans work, andit looks iffy, the gap betweensupply and demand will be toogreat by mid-December. Fromthen on power cuts at peak hourare here to stay for at least fiveyears, experts say.
The problem isn’t lack ofpower, it is shortfall at theevening peak hours in winter.During the rest of the day andduring the monsoon the grid hasmore energy than it can handle.Most of it is wasted and the NEAsuffers huge losses because it ispower it has to buy but can’t sell.
Demand outstrips supplyGet your candles, torches and generators ready for a long, dark winter
30 projects but construction hasnot even begun. The ones thathave started are too small tomake an impact. Kulekhani III isbeing mulled, but can’t becompleted before 2009. TheJapanese are said to be workingon a detailed study of the122MW Upper Seti, anotherstorage project but that will takeeven longer.
India is eyeing Upper Karnaliand Budi Gandaki but strainedbilateral relations after 1February have stallednegotiations. The much-delayedWest Seti dam will take ten yearsto build but its 600 MW is forexport only.
NEA officials say they arenow relying on buying morethan the current 50 MW powerfrom India which itself is bizarregiven the power shortage on thenorth Indian grid. Transmissionlines from the Nepal side are inplace but there are doubts aboutIndia coming to the rescue in thepresent circumstances.
Private power producers likeButwal Power Company (BPC)are interested in increasinggeneration by 20 gigawatts atRs 3 per unit. But NEA officialsfear buying power at such acheap rate may set a precedenceand they don’t want to sign adeal that would expose them topossible investigation by thecorruption watchdog, CIAA.
Other private producers alsowant to invest but are backingoff because they say NEA isnot offering them the samelucrative deals as Khmiti andBhote Kosi.
NAVIN SINGH KHADKA
Except for the two Kulekhanis,most of Nepal’s power comesfrom run-of-the-river schemeswhich means their power outputdepends on the flow of the river.This, in turn, means they generatemost power (in the monsoon)when demand is lowest and leastpower (in winter) when demandis highest. This year’s poormonsoon has added to the woesbecause water level on theKulekhani reservoir is ten metresbelow normal.
Apart from bungling in thepower generation front, the NEAhas also failed to upgradetransmission and distributionsystems to send power to deficitareas. Nepal’s system loss due topower poaching is 30 percent—one of the highest in the world.Even if this was halved, loadshedding could have beenaverted.
The NEA’s generationexpansion plan list has more than
Three years ago, the Ministryof Water Resources was ready toimplement time-of-day tariff toreduce demand at peak hour, butthe government changed and itwent into limbo. Had demandmanagement measures been putin place, the supply deficitwould be only 9MW in January.But without it, the shortfall willbe 40 MW.
The only reason for this crisisis poor planning. To be sure, theconflict has delayed the MiddleMarsyangdi project that wasoriginally supposed to comeonline this year, adding 70 MW tothe grid. The delays have doubledthe cost of the German-aidedproject and it is still two yearsaway from completion.
But even with Marsyangdi,energy experts feel that it is nowtime for Nepal to have anotherreservoir project to meet peakdemand and to offset themonsoon-winter imbalance.
T
STILL TWO YEARS AWAY:Even
when it comes online in 2007, the
70 MW Middle Marsyangdi will be
too little too late.
525 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #274BUSINESS
P
STRICTLY BUSINESSAshutosh Tiwari
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Serving mindsAshish Kapoor, president of
Serving Minds, global services
and BPO provider from Nepal
has been recently appointed to
the Advisory Council of the
World HRD Congress. The
Congress is a global body of
Human Resource Development
Organisations from around the
world. This is the first time that
a professional from a Nepali
corporate has been nominated
to the council, which will plan
and execute the next World
HRD Conference and
Exhibition in Mumbai from 3-4
February 2006.
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Free to be fairEmami has launched the first
fairness cream for men, Fair
and Handsome, this week. In a
research conducted on user-
ship of fairness cream it has
been found by the company that
more than 25 percent of
fairness cream users are men.
This has prompted the
company to develop double
strength peptide complex in
association with Activor Corp.
USA. Emami Fair and
Handsome is targeted at the
urban male consumers between
15-35. The company expects to
sell half a million tubes in
Nepal this year.
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Honour for QatarQatar Airways has won four
key awards at the 12th World
Travel Awards. The airline
picked up awards for World’s
Leading Flat Bed Seat, Best
Inflight Meal Service, Leading
Airline in the Middle East and
World Travel Global Award.
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New NIB branchNepal Investment Bank has
opened its 13th branch in
Narayangarh. This branch will
offer products and services to
meet the needs of its customers
in Narayangarh, Bharatpur and
surrounding areas. The branch
will be linked ‘on line’ to the
other 12 existing branches and
clients in Narayangarh can
access their funds from any of
these 12 branches.
eter Drucker, the man whoinvented the art ofmanagement, died in his
sleep at home in California on 11November. He was 95. Thoughmost tenured professors at top-tier US business schools do notrespect him enough to assign his
writings to students, the ideasthat Drucker put forth in his 38books, many essays and lectureshave long resonated withmanagers in for-profit and non-profit organisations worldwide.In my own spare-time reading ofDrucker—with books bought froman extensive collection atKantipath’s Educational BookHouse—I have come away withthree ideas that have influencedmy thinking about business andmanagement.
Homage to DruckerLong before the widespread
use of the internet, Drucker sawthe rise of knowledge workers. Hepointed out that a baker’s sontoday need not grow up to be abaker as he would have done40 years ago. That son might be alawyer, an X-ray technician oran artist. This freedom to changeone’s profession from that ofone’s forefathers, argued Drucker,is a relatively new phenomenonin human history. And it haspositive implications for thenature of work and management.
A member of a hospitalmanagement, for example, canexpress dissatisfaction over anX-ray technician’s tardiness. Butthe management cannot do thetechnician’s work, which isspecialised. Given this, thechallenge for anyone inmanagement is to figure out howto get the best out of specialists orknowledge workers who work fortheir organisation. Viewed this
way, being in management is akinto being a conductor who has tocoax music out of orchestramembers, each of whom is aspecialist in playing aninstrument.
Drucker’s second insight wasthat managerial effectiveness canbe learned through consistentpractice. He had no use for CEOsas glamorous cover boys. Instead,he drew upon his consultingexperiences to assert thatmanagers’ personalities, attitudes,values, strengths, weaknesses,extroversion or generosity madelittle difference if they were noteffective and if they did notdeliver the results for theirorganisations. He argued that amanager’s job was to ask the rightquestions about what needs to bedone, how to do it through actionplans, assign people to do it andthen get it done by keepingcommunications open. Anythingelse was simply a distraction.
Drucker wrote much on theart of self-management. Heunderstood that different peoplelearn the same thing differently.Some enjoy reading, some learnby writing, while others masternew ideas by talking things overwith many people. Druckerencouraged all to discover theirown learning style and put that towork by honing their strengths. Itis easier, he observed, to go fromstrength to strength than to try toturn a weakness into strength. Herealised that knowledge workersdo not necessarily do their bestwork within the traditional nine-to-five work schedule andsuggested that management thinkout of the box to get moreproductivity out of employees,whose creativity would drive theinnovations that businesseseverywhere need today.
Drucker saw ambitious, highlyeducated and competent youngpeople becoming partners of lawor consulting firms at the age of35 and then getting thoroughlybored with the work they do,while remaining too scared toleave work to find their truecalling in life. He suggested thatthey spend several hours a week
Guru taught that good management was a power for good
volunteering at non-profitentities–schools, museums,hospitals, theatre groups, musicensembles–so that they couldshare their expertise withorganisations that desperatelyneed management skills butcoulnt afford them.
Indeed, all of Drucker’swritings point to one conclusion:that the art of management,regardless of where it is applied,has the power to do much goodfor humankind. May his soul restin peace.
6 FROM THE NEPALI PRESS
SELECTED MATERIAL TRANSLATED EVERY WEEK FROM THE NEPALI PRESS
25 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #274
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“
“The 12-point agreement between the Maoists andthe seven-party alliance as listed in statement byPushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday.
1. Today, the main desire of most Nepalis is to have
democracy, peace, prosperity, social upliftment and
an independent and sovereign Nepal. Toward that
end, we fully agree that the main obstacle is an
autocratic monarchy. Without an end to the
autocratic monarchy and establishment of complete
democracy we are clear that there will be no peace,
progress and prosperity in the country. Therefore,
we have reached an agreement that all forces
against autocratic monarchy will step up their
movement to end the autocratic monarchy and
establish complete democracy.
2. The agitating seven political parties are fully
committed to the plan to reinstate parliament whose
decision will lead to the formation of an all-party
government, hold talks with the Maoists and go for
an election to a constituent assembly. They identify
this as the way to end the present conflict and
restore sovereignty to the people. The Communist
Party of Nepal (Maoist) has made the commitment
to organise a national political convention of
democratic forces. The meet should decide on the
formation of an interim government and hold
elections for a constituent assembly to achieve the
agreed goal. The seven political parties and the
CPN (Maoist) will engage in dialogue and explore a
consensus on procedural matters. It has been agreed
that People’s power is the only alternative to meet the
goals.
3. The country wants a positive solution and a
permanent peace. That is why we are committed to
these goals and an end to the armed conflict
through the end of autocratic monarchy, elections
for the constituent assembly and the establishment
of absolute democracy. The CPN (Maoist)
expresses its commitment to move ahead in a
peaceful new political current through this process.
There has been an understanding on keeping the
Maoists’ armed forces and the Royal Nepali Army
under the supervision of the United Nations during
the elections of the constituent assembly, conduct
elections in free and fair manner, and accept the
results of the elections—all these after an end of
the autocratic monarchy. We also expect the
involvement of reliable international interlocutors in
our dialogue process.
4. The CPN (Maoist) makes public its commitment
to clearly institutionalise the values of competitive
multiparty system, civil and fundamental rights,
human rights and the rule of the law.
5. The CPN (Maoist) has made the commitment
to let the leaders, activists, and the people who
were displaced during the armed conflict to be
resettled in their homes. It has also committed
that all land, houses and property seized
unjustly will be returned. This will create an
environment where people will be allowed to
freely conduct their political activities.
6. Through self-criticism and self-evaluation of
the past mistakes and shortcomings, the CPN
(Maoist) is committed not to repeat those
mistakes.
7. The seven political parties have realised they
made mistakes when they were in parliament
and in government and have committed that they
will not repeat those mistakes.
8. Human rights and press freedom will be
respected while moving the peace process
ahead.
9. The talk of municipal elections and
parliamentary polls is to trick the people and the
international community and to legitimise the
illegitimate and autocratic rule of the king. We
will boycott these polls in our separate ways
and urge the people to make such elections
unsuccessful.
10. The people and their representative political
parties are the real guards of nationalism. We
are fully committed on the self-reliance,
sovereignty, territorial integrity and national
unity. It is our common duty to have friendly
relations on the basis of the principle of
peaceful co-existence with all the countries of
the world, especially with our neighbours India
and China. We urge all patriotic people to
remain alert about Mandale nationalism that the
king and the monarchists are preaching to the
people. We also appeal to international powers
to support the democratic movement against
autocratic monarchy through all possible ways.
11. We urge civil society, professionals, people
of all caste, communities and areas, the media,
intellectuals and general Nepalis to actively
participate in the people’s movement that will be
conducted on the basis of our agreement that
has democracy, peace, prosperity, progressive
social change, freedom, sovereignty and
integrity of the country as the cornerstone.
12. Past misbehaviour of the parties will be
investigated, and action taken against those
found guilty and the findings made public. Any
problems arising will be sorted out at the
concerned level or through discussion at the
leadership level.
12-point Maoist MoU
Why this hullabaloo about the party leaders visiting India when the king can travelanywhere he wants, even to a country with no diplomatic ties to Nepal?
Former ambassador to India Professor Harsa Narayan Dhaubhadel inBuddhabar, 23 November
Manmohan Singh’s injection: ExpansionismPrachanda’s injection: People’s republic.Manmohan Singh: “If he is still not well, I will treat him myself.”
Rajdhani, 18 November
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Foreign handiworkAcademic Govinda Bhatta inJana Bhawana, 21 November
If media reports are anyindication, foreign powers aremaking Chinese militaryassistance to Nepal an excuse tointervene in Nepali’s internalaffairs. Whereas, China has madeno interference. Efforts are on toimplicate Nepal in theinternational strategic campaignagainst China. Such campaignershave been saying that Nepal hastilted toward China and that thereis increasing Chinese influence inNepal. But, the fact remains thatNepal has not changed its foreignpolicy. We still believe on thepolicy of neutrality and nonalignment.
Yet another media reports thatNepal’s fate may be like that ofBhutan and Sikkim. I think suchthings should not appear in thepress. It only undermines theconfidence of the people.Moreover, it would be quiteunrealistic to think that Nepalwill be transformed into Bhutanand Sikkim. If our country’spolitics changes at the will offoreign power centers, that wouldbe the most unfortunate thing.
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More ceasefire?Deshantar, 20 November
The fast-paced undercurrents ofthe country’s politics haveindicated that the Maoists mayextend the ceasefire. The sevenagitating parties have beenholding talks with the Maoists.On the other side, even if the kingis on a lengthy overseas visit, thevice chairmen of the ministers’council Tulsi Giri and KirtinidhiBista are said to have helddialogue with Maoists’point men. Since talks are onbetween all the forces of Nepalipolitics, sources say Maoists are in
no mood to break the ceasefirenow. The unilateral ceasefire ofthe Maoists comes to an end oneday after the king returns from hisforeign visit on 2 December.Sources also say the government ispreparing to announce a unilateralceasefire five days before theMaoists’ ceasefire ends this 1December.
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In solitaryBhairab Risal inRadio Sagarmatha, 22 November
While the World Summit on theInformation Society was going onin Tunis last week, in theoutbacks of midwestern Nepal inthe middle of nowhere a mothersits in the darkness of thecowshed with her new-born baby.She is not allowed to eatnutritious food, drink milk orwater. She is deemed ‘unclean’and can’t come into the house,she is not allowed to look at thesun so her gaze will not defile thesun god. She is not allowed totouch anyone, no one is allowedto touch her. In the next house, ateenage girl having her firstmenstruation is in similar solitaryconfinement. At the time that sheneeds the most attention, whenshe needs to be told what ishappening to her body and needsher family members she is lockedup in the chhaupadi hut, the cellwhere her mother and mothersbefore her have spent four daysevery month. Despite laws beingpassed against it, even the wife ofthe headmaster of a school inBaitadi still had to spend hermaternity period in the cowshed.If that is the situation with her,how long will it take for hundredsof thousands of illiterate women?How is the WSIS in Tunis goingto help these women? We mayhave internet and mobile phonesbut how is what we communicategoing to bring justice to Nepaliwomen?
The Embassy of Denmark, Kathmandu invites applications from suitablyqualified Nepalese Citizens for the position of Programme Assistant.
Main Tasks:Assistance to the development staff responsible for environment andanergy sector at the Embassy.Facilitate review missions to and from the Embassy.Maintain the Embassy’s contacts to relevant partners in Nepal (ministries,other donors, NGOs, private sectors etc.).Take initiatives and provide necessary assistance to the Embassy.Preparing documents, reports, workshops and meetings.
Qualification/Requirements:Master’s Degree preferably in Economics.Minimum 2 years of working experience in the environment and ruraldevelopment field.Possess a good command of English and Nepali (Oral and written).Ability to develop, plan and manage programme/activities.Ability to handle multiple tasks and to work under time pressure.Positive and dynamic attitude.Proficiency in the use of office computer applications.Female candidates and individuals from ethnic minorities are encouraged toapply.
Conditions of Employment:1 year contract with possibility of extensionCompetitive salary and benefits
Written application should reach the Embassy P.O Box: 6332 no laterthan 10th December 2005 and must include, education certificate andreference. Only short listed applicants will be contacted for the selectionprocess.Telephone calls will not be entertained.
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
7FROM THE NEPALI PRESS 25 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #274
Himal Khabarpatrika,16 November
As the three-month ceasefire
period comes to an end, it is
becoming apparent that the level
of desertions and surrenders from
the movement has increased in
the period. In Parbat, the Vice-
platoon commander of the Gandak
Region Dhana Bahadur Chhetri
(Comrade Dharan) and Jit Pun of
the Magarat Freedom Front
surrendered to the security forces.
Recently, the vice chairman of the
district Maoist student union
Gopal Bhandari deserted the
movement. Comrade Dharan was
in Grade 8 in Waling when he was
impressed with Maoists’ song and
dance performances and joined
the insurgents. He received
training even fought in famous
battles in Waling, Tarkughat and
Gulmi where he was wounded.
Now, he has decided to leave the
movement and go abroad to work.
The Platoon Commander from
Myagdi, Comrade Dil has also
quit. Jit Pun says he was put off
by the slaughter he witnessed
during the attack in Beni in March
2004 and says he will now go
abroad to work. Student leader
Gopal Bhandari, on the other
hand, was in charge of fund-
raising for the party and appears
to have fled to India with a lot of
money.
In Rukum, the Maoists have
passed an edict that the Thanti
market be relocated to Bhlakcha.
Little did they realise that market
towns in Nepal are located where
villagers from surrounding
districts find it convenient to travel
to. One can’t just relocate them on
a whim. The Maoists say the
Thanti location was ‘detrimental to
the people’s war’ and closed it
down. “We can close markets and
open them wherever we like,”
says the Rukum head of the
‘people’s government’, Comrade
Drone who refused to say why the
location was a problem for the
struggle. Elsewhere, the Maoists
were forced by public pressure to
withdraw their order to relocate
Simrutu Bajar. Maoists have
called anyone who opposes their
orders ‘traitors’ and businessmen
don’t usually speak out against it.
But Man Bahadur Oli does say
cautiously: “By moving the
market, the people have suffered a
lot. They shouldn’t have done
that.”
Life in the time of ceasefire
There are signs that local
Maoists are degenerating into
extortion gangs during the
ceasefire. The Maoists always
used to say they’d never harm
trekkers and ask tourists for
donations according to the party’s
pre-determined rate. Not
anymore. A group of tourists in
Humla and Mugu recently were
extorted by Maoist groups and
sub-groups in the two districts.
Earlier, if they showed the receipt
they didn’t have to pay the Maoist
tax twice. In Thame of Khumbu,
suspected Maoists in one recent
night went house-to-house and
extorted Rs 10,000 each from a
dozen tourist lodges.
In some parts of central and
mid-western Nepal, local Maoists
are behaving as if they are a
political party campaigning in
elections. They arrange programs
for local villagers in much the
same way as political parties.
“Our party wants a peaceful way
out and we think a democratic
republic is the only way out,”
says Battalion Commisar
Comrade Roshan at a public
meeting in a school in Kailai’s
Urma VDC on 29 October. But the
people are confused, do the
Maoists really mean it? Is this a
ruse? Or do they now genuinely
want to form a political front
organisation? Comrade Atom has
the answer: “There is no place for
monarchy in a democracy, it
doesn’t mean we have given up
the struggle, we are just uniting
with the anti-regression forces of
the parties.”
The rebels seem to have
given up their long boring
speeches and show a willingness
to share the podium even with
people they don’t agree. Comrade
Roshan sounded conciliatory
when he began his speech in
Kailali by saying: “Please point
out our weaknesses, be open,
give us suggestions.”
The UML’s Durga Sodari took
up the challenge: “We think you
Maoists are dominant in the
villages only because you have
the gun. We don’t agree to this.”
Some party members still don’t
trust the Maoists and think their
recent softness is a trick. But ex-
MP Maheswor Pathak says: “If the
Maoists take part in peaceful
meetings and rallies even the
government should applaud.” But
Congress central committee
member Sunil Kumar Bhandari
cautions: “As long as we don’t get
an explicit commitment from them
that they are now on a peaceful
democratic struggle, it will be
difficult to trust them.” But the
Maoists here haven’t yet publicly
announced that they have adopted
the new strategy.
Despite the uncertainties, the
Maoists seem to have having
serious second thoughts about
violence. Says in-charge of
Phulbari VDC in Kailali, Comrade
Sangharsha says: “It took us 10
years to realise it’s wrong to kill
people and it took the Nepali
Congress 61 years to realise it
shouldn’t carry the king on its
shoulder.”
In Argakhanchi and Pyuthan,however, there is a big gap
between what the Maoists say and
do. There is a lot of fear about
what will happen after the
ceasefire and the new Maoist
graffiti on the walls say: ‘Let’s
make the phased strategic
counteroffensive a success.’
Locals have taken this to mean
that the Maoists will rejoin the
warpath after the ceasefire.
Despite the thaw in relations with
the parties, the rebels are still
targeting party workers. Najir
Mian can’t go aback to his village
in Pali VDC because he couldn’t
pay the Maoist the Rs 100,000
they demanded.
In Gulmi, the NC’s central
committee member Man Gyawali
has had his property confiscated.
Ramji Ghimire of the UML hasn’t
been able to go back to his village
for five years. The only reason is
Maoist Platoon vice-commander Dhana Bahadur Chhetri gives himselfup to the district administrator in Parbat.
that the Maoists fear that allowing
party workers back to the village
could dilute their power. So the
strategy seems to be: ‘Cooperate
with the parties at the centre but
maintain influence in the villages.’
The Maoists have not been able to
bring up a new generation of
political leaders and even their
cadre are deserting in droves. The
Maoists district secretary ran
away with Rs 2.8 million recently.
In Jhapa and the eastern
districts Maoist brutality has not
gone down since the ceasefire.
On 8 November the Maoists killed
mentally handicapped Chudamani
Mainali: his fault was to ask an
armed Maoist patrol for a
cigarette. Chudamani’s father, 60-
year-old Shiva Prasad, was
himself in mourning for his own
father when his son was shot. “My
son needed treatment, how could
they have killed him?” says Tulsa
Debi, Chudamani’s mother.
Villagers shouted “The man is
mad, don’t kill him” but the
Maoists shot him anyway. A week
earlier, the Maoists kidnapped
Nirmala Basnet of Khotang whose
Maoist husband accused her of
being unfaithful to him. She was
later killed. Fifty-five year old
Januka Bhandari of Tehrathum
had left the Maoists and was
sitting at home in Simle VDC
when the Maoists came and
tortured and beat her up until she
died of her wounds. The Maoists
then kidnapped Januka’s daughter
Krishna Kumari. In Ilam the
Maoists abducted Rudra
Dhungana because he couldn’t
pay them Rs 200,000 ‘donation’.
Narendra Dewan has been
locked out of his house by
Maoists because his son is in the
army, he hasn’t been allowed to
harvest his ripened rice.
TREKKING8
KUNDA DIXIT
he Sacred Sites Trail is a circular tourism trailcreated to encourage tourists to visit six lesserknown sacred sites and villages in the Khumbu
area. Initiated and implemented by the local peoplewith financial support from The Mountain Institute(TMI) the program hopes to reinvigorate andenhance local cultural skills and traditions anddistribute tourism benefits more widely byencouraging tourists to visit villages off theestablished trekking trails and to stay longer.
The route takes one to Thame, Gendukpa,Phortse, Pangboche and Debuche. The naturalassets of these areas are spectacular and less wellknown. All along the trails, ancient gombas, maniwalls, chortens and kanis give travellers a feeling ofbeing in sacred surroundings. giving a spiritual feelto the trail’s pristine mountain environment.
The trail passes through 12 monasteries andnunneries, passing clockwise from Namche visiting
OFF THE BE
KHUMMANDA unique project in the Khu
pilgrimages and benefit peoSARAH SUBBA and
T rekking, more than other types of tourism, benefits local communitiesbecause it injects money directly into rural areas. Properly handled,trekking can play an important role in poverty alleviation. Guides andporters get jobs, lodges and restaurants along the trails get business.
But trekking and tourism also isolate sections of the poor, benefittingmainly the already privileged segments of society. Often, communities livingin and around tourist destinations are still neglected. Then there is also theworrying impact of mass tourism on the environment and culture of trekkingdestinations.
This is where community-based eco-tourism (CBT) comes in: motivatinglocal people to be proactive in tackling the threats and problems associatedwith tourism, livelihood and conservation. It also asks how tourism can inspirelocal people to retain their cultural assets and protect the environment?
A form of community-based eco-tourism is currently being tried out in theKhumbu region where villagers are actively engaged in natural and culturalheritage conservation. The aim is to reduce trekking’s ecological and culturalfootprint while maximising its benefit for marginalised communities
The Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) is Nepal’s most visited national parkand is of global cultural and environmental importance. The region saw 3,600trekkers in 1979 and by 2001 the numbers had soared to nearly 22,000. Thismeans the ecological equilibrium that existed in the park area for centuries isunder increasing strain.
Trekking tourism has helped boost the local economy and standard ofliving with better health care, education and housing. But it has also degradedthe region’s fragile ecology and cultural traditions. Moreover, the benefits oftrekking tourism are not distributed equally throughout the parks as manyareas remain culturally and economically isolated.
Trekking tourism has not lead to the preservation of the region’s vibrantculture. Economic benefits have taken precedence over the conservation ofnatural and cultural sacred sites. Many groves, trees, water sources and cavesthat are regarded as holy are being neglected. The rich oral traditions, rituals,
ANG RITA SHERPA
T
KUNDA DIXIT
25 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #274 9
several sites in the Thame Valley and ending at theTengboche Monastery. The Sacred Sites Trail feeds intoand complements existing trekking routes.
The trail builds on the notion of sustainability thatentails maximum consideration to local communities,providing them with livelihood opportunities, involvingthem in the management and protection of culturalheritage and natural resources.
The confluence of religion, culture andenvironmental conservation invariably contributes andpromotes tourism and development of the areatherefore, ‘Sacred Sites Trails to Khumbu’ builds on thevery rich religious and cultural heritage of the region toattract tourists also to isolated areas.
This in turn could help revive traditions such as thebelief that springs and lakes and some trees areinhabited by spirits called the Lu—beliefs that wereimportant in conserving water sources, protectingslopes, conserving forests and biodiversity.
EATEN TREK
MBUDALA
umbu tries to turn treks intoople outside the tourism loop
ANG RITA SHERPA
dances, clothes and stories are not properly documented and are suffering erosion.In 2003, a unique initiative called the ‘Sacred Sites Trail to Khumbu’ was
launched. This community-based tourism initiative tries to integrate multi-thematicconservation needs, diversify tourism benefits and preserve cultural values andstages of development.
At a time when indigenous culture is under increasing threat fromencroachment of modern civilisation, loss of livelihood opportunities and Maoistconflict, the hope lies in replicating strategies like the Sacred Sites Trail in otherparts of Nepal as well. Already, a ‘Sacred Himalayan Landscape’ projectencompassing national parks and biodiversity regions from Langtang north ofKathmandu to the eastern slopes of Kangchenjunga in Sikkim is being proposedto conserve the cultural, religious and environmental treasures of the easternHimalaya.
At a ‘Sacred Himalayan Landscape in Nepal’ conference in April, participantssaid traditional conservation measures taken to safeguard biodiversity alone areinadequate, the goal should be to also preserve the cultures and traditions thatnurture and revere nature.
And once local communities are mobilised to preserve traditional value systems,culture and religion, the environment is automatically protected. After all, onlyby strengthening society’s moorings can society benefit from protecting theenvironment and from tourism.
Sarah Subba and Ang Rita Sherpa work for The Mountain Institute’s Himal Program.
www.mountain.org
ANG RITA SHERPA
HEAVENLY TREK: (Clockwise from below, overleaf) The renovated monastery at Phortse with themountains of the Gokyo Valley in the backgroundSunrise from TengbocheThe summit of Taboche seems to peer down at its own valleySherpa pilgrims do the sacred walk in Thame(Centre) Moss-covered mani wall in the walk up to Khumjung
KUNDA DIXIT
KUNDA DIXIT
10 REVIEW 25 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #274
ane Goodall loved animals even as a child.
When she was just over a year old, her father
gave her a toy chimpanzee which she named
Jubilee. She carried Jubilee with her everywhere.
Today, more than 65 years later, Jubilee–now
completely bald from so many hugs–sits on Jane’s
dresser in England.
In the summer of 1960, Jane arrived in
Tanganyika (later to become Tanzania) to study
chimpanzees. At first, the Gombe chimps fled
whenever they saw Jane. But she persisted,
watching from a distance with binoculars and
gradually the chimps allowed her closer. One day
in October 1960 she saw chimps David
Greybeard and Goliath strip leaves off twigs to
make tools for fishing termites out of a termite
mound. Up until this time, scientists thought
humans were the only species to make tools but here
was evidence to the contrary.
In 1965, Jane and her husband started the
Gombe Stream Research Centre, which meant
graduate students and others could come and assist
often referred to as a ‘WhiteKnuckle Pilot’—it was thepassenger’s knuckles that werewhite, not Hardy’s. He wasblunt, provocative and spoke hismind. This often got him intotrouble and was the reason hequit the United Nations forwhom he flew developmentflights on the UN’s blue-tailedPilatus Turbo-porter, 9N-AAW(also known as ‘AlphaWhiskey’).
Hardy was devastated whenthe UN decided to go for a TwinOtter and turn over its flightneeds to Royal Nepal Airlines in1984. He lingered for a fewmonths in Kathmandu hopingthat reasons to stay back wouldturn up. He began to drinkheavily, his friends tried to helphim but failed. Hardy reluctantlyreturned to Switzerland where hespent some time in therapy.
He loved art and collectedpaintings of Lain Singh Bangdeland Laxman Shrestha amongothers and by the time hereturned to Nepal had himself
ardy Furer was a familiarfigure in the skies overNepal for nearly two decades
from 1966-1984 flying his single-engine Pilatus Turbo Porterferrying school books for UNICEF,Merino sheep to Jumla oriodised salt to remote districts.
Unable to stay away, Hardyhad returned to Nepal in 2000after being promised a job ferryingtourists to the Everest View Hotelin Syangboche. But that job never
materialised and Hardy beganto suffer money and healthproblems. The reluctance of thegovernment to grant him a long-term visa frustrated him andpushed him to depression. Hewas found dead in his rented flatin Baudha on 16 November andwas cremated in a simpleBuddhist ceremony that day.
When lung problems, due tomany years of excessive smokingworsened and an operationbecame imperative, it was hisNepali friends who came to hisrescue. Dr Damodar Pokhrelagreed to remove one lung andthen part of another lung free of
cost. His old friend Krishna Lamaof the Civil Aviation Authoritystayed with Hardy at Bir Hospitaluntil he recuperated. Lama’s eyesglistened as he described Furer’scondition before his death. Andit was in the house of ShaligramPudasini that he died.
For those of us who knew himbefore he fell upon hard times
Last flypast for Hardy was an extraordinarycharacter: at home with classicalmusic, especially opera andEuropean art. He opened 30airfields in previouslyinaccessible areas of Nepal, amongthem Simikot, Bajhang,Dhorpatan, Ramechhap. He drewup the earliest pilot’s charts forapproaches and departures forthese airports because he wasalways the first to make a testlanding.
Like fellow-Swiss Pilatuspilot, Emil Wick, Hardy was alegend even in his time. He wasidiosyncratic and wouldsometimes fly off and leave hispassengers standing in the tarmacif they didn’t arrive on time. Henever took chances and never hadan accident even though hesometimes flew 10 hours a day.Once his engine cut out on anearly morning ferry and he had toglide back to the airport inDhangadi.
I never missed the chance tofly with Hardy Furer even thoughI was terrified of flying. He was
A tribute to thelegendary Swissaviator in Nepal
SU
ND
AR
M
AN
I D
IX
IT
C
OL
LE
CT
IO
N
DOIG
e came, he saw and hepainted. Desmond Doig,author, journalist,
architect, landscape designer,artist left crowded and crumblingCalcutta to the emerald valley ofKathmandu in 1975 and made iihis home.
In the next eight years Doigpainted hundreds of watercolours of Kathmandu’s temples,bahals, street scenes. His artisteyes were mesmerised byKathmandu’s beauty, especiallyits colours and light. It was loveat first sight and the paintings
Join Jane
H
with the chimpanzee observations. The Centre
became a place where students could learn about
wild chimpanzees and how to study them. The Centre
still trains primatologists to this day. Jane visits
Gombe every year and is very involved in the
research but she no longer does the actual day-to-
day field work.
As the research went on at Gombe, it became
clear that chimpanzees had a dark side, just like
human beings. Jane and the other researchers
were surprised when the female chimpanzee
Passion and her daughter Pom killed and ate
several infant chimpanzees, ripping them from
their mothers’ arms. They also observed a period
of conflict between different chimpanzee groups.
Chimpanzees may be capable of cruelty but they
also demonstrate cooperation, affection,
happiness, sometimes even seem to help each
other just for the sake of helping, not to get a
reward.
The Jane Goodall Institute, which she founded in
1977, has programs designed to benefit people who
are living in poverty in Africa and to spread the word
about the importance of conserving the forests and
animal populations. The Institute also has the Roots
& Shoots global youth program, which helps young
people learn about problems in their communities
and the world and then take action towards solving
them.
Says Jane: “Young people, when informed and
empowered, when they realise that what they do
truly makes a difference, can indeed change the
world. They are changing it already.” Jane is a
dedicated scientist and has been designated by Kofi
Annan as a ‘UN Messenger of Peace’.
While in Nepal, Jane Goodall will address a
Public Forum at Patan Museum on Wednesday,
30 November 4 - 5.30 PM sponsored by NepaliTimes and Resources Nepal. Later that evening,
Jane will take part in a Candle Lighting Ceremony at
the Peace Mandala in Maitighar organised by the
Roots and Shoots youth group.
Public Forum ‘Reason for Hope’ with Dr Jane GoodallSponsored by the Nepali Times and Resources Nepalin association with Roots and Shoots Nepal
Wednesday 30 November 4PM Patan Museum.
No admission charge but seating is limited to the first 250
people
Renowned primatologist and UNMessenger of Peace,Jane Goodall, will speak inKathmandu on ‘Reason to Hope’
J
H
REMEMBRANCEBarbara Adams
1125 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #274REVIEW
nlike earlier Darjeeling Carnivals, this year’s event seemed
more geared to the local Darj crowd. It showcased local bands
and musicians, with precious little for outside visitors.
Darjeeling’s Mall, Chowrasta, was packed shoulder to shoulder
and visitors couldn’t move much. Sponsors Reliance India Mobile and
other phone companies erected their oversized billboards which
marred the view. It is bad enough that certain fast food outlets have
created an architectural eyesore next to the Victorian-style Chalet
Hotel in what was once termed the ‘Queen of the Hills’.
It’s a shame, really, that Chowrasta has
been turned into mini Calcutta. With all the
boisterous Bengali tourists and crowds of
local youth milling around, Chowrasta
during the 10-day Carnival was not a
pleasant place.
Carnival organiser, Ajay Edwards, better
known as the man behind Glenary’s
restaurants and bakeries, recently led a
delegation of Darjeeling businessmen to
meet India’s Minister of Civil Aviation,
Praful Patel who promised to allow
international airlines to land in Bagdogra for
tourists heading up to Darjeeling and
Sikkim. Sounds like a golden opportunity for
regional carriers such as Cosmic, if they
pay their fuel bills.
There was one redeeming feature of
Carnival 2005 and it had nothing to do with
mobile phones and the blaring music. It was
the simple, humble game of chungi—that
quintessential Nepali low-tech ‘time pass’.
No one knows the origin of chungi in Nepal. Some say it may
have come from East Asia as it is related to the Thai and Burmese
foot-kick, wicker-ball games. But when I first arrived in Kathmandu in
the early 1980s—well before satellite tv and even televisions for most
people—before FM radios, wide-screen movies and mobiles, before
internet, before democracy there was chungi. Boys in the quiet,
traffic-less streets idly kicking a small ball of rubber bands,
sometimes it seemed for hours. There was nothing else to do.
So, on a Sunday afternoon after the ‘Dogs Day Out’ event in
which the proud owners of dogs paraded their pets (the winner was a
Saint Bernard owned by the proprietor of Mayfair Hotel) the chungi
competition began.
For some reason it was all boys, all of them local youths who it
seemed had a lot of practice. The MC counted their kicks and
disqualified them if they dropped the rubberband ball. The average
count was about 40 or 50 kicks. Only two got over 100 but one 15-
year-old dressed in a knit yellow, black and red Rasta cap and a
jacket emblazoned ironically with ‘England’ (during the British
colonial era no natives were allowed to set foot on the Chowrasta)
paced himself and rhythmically kept kicking that aerial black rubber
projectile into the air. When he passed 200 the crowd gasped and it
was 268 kicks before he finally lost it.
The winner, one Sagar Roka, happily accepted his prize, a
Darjeeling Carnival t-shirt and disappeared into the crowd.
The next event was a momo-eating contest. The carnival was
supposed to close with fireworks and more loud music. But that’s not
what I came to Darjeeling for. Call me quirky, even old-fashioned but I
prefer the soft whooshing sound of the chungi and the whispering of
the cryptomeria.
The Darjeeling I love is more about the tinkling temple bells of
Mahakal Mandir atop the hill dubbed Dorje Ling—the place of the
thunderbolt—with its rustling prayer flags. And somewhere below,
the rustle of pines punctuated by the steam-whistle shriek of the toy
train.
become an accomplished artist.Hardy has left behind books andpaintings now locked in his roomand it would be fitting if they weredistributed to the Nepali friendswho cared for him.
In his small rented room inSanepa he spent time painting,puffing endlessly on cigaretteswaiting for a job and a visa that nevercame. He was trying to work on amemoirs of the early days of aviationin Nepal.
Most of his foreign friends werenot aware of his financial problems,his loneliness and physical sufferingduring the last years of his life. Andit was his Nepali friends who caredfor him towards the end.
See also:
Flying into the past with Hardy Furer, #24
Emil wick’s adventures in a Pilatus
Porter, #7
Hardy
HARDY PILOT: Hardy Furer poursover an airways map of Nepal in2001 (right) and waving from hisPilatus ‘Alpha Whiskey’ over Nepal(overleaf).
Chungi on theChowrasta
and sketches on display atSiddhartha Art Gallery thisweek show Doig’s view of theValley was coloured by thisaffair.
When he died in 1983 theartist left behind a trove ofsketches and water colours.Some of them went into privatecollections, others were in thesafekeeping of Desmond’sfriend Dubby Bhagat who putthem together in the book ofdrawings and writings, MyKind of Kathmandu in 1995.
“What distinguishes Doig as
neither a revolutionary nor amissionary”.
But he saw the blightspreading to his beloved Valleyas well. He yearned for theless-concrete previousKathmandu where the streetswere all flagstoned and thehouses were “all mellowedbrick and russet tile andweathered wood”.
The Doigs display afascination for Kathmandu’slight: the explosion of emeraldin the monsoon, the ochre-and-white doll houses at Baudhha,the blinding white cumulustowering over purple hills on theValley rim, the mysterious holylight that bathes a Pashupatimorning.
You notice that Doigstudiously avoids the ugly. Theloving brush strokes on temples,the meticulous detail of tufts ofgrass growing out of their tiles,the mounds of golden harvestdrying on the square. Thepaintings capture Kathmandubefore the rot set in: the textureof the fields, trees and hills thelanguid sky, harvests suffused ingold, the dreamlike quality oflate afternoon light on GaneshHimal framed in red-yellow farmhouses and thenear-impressionistic jumble oftriangulated temple roofs. Thepaintings record for posterity thelight and colours that struck theretina of an artist’s eye 25 yearsago in Kathmandu.
On a rare clear eveningthese days when the smog doesnot envelop the Valley, you canstill see what Desmond saw:the snow peaks to the northturning from silver to gold tolavender and the past stillshines through. Kunda Dixit
The Desmond Doig Exhibition
At the Siddhartha Art Galley, 4411122
22 November-6 December
an artist is his spontaneity,”explains Siddhartha’s SangeetaThapa who organised theexhibit, “Doig did not copythese images from photographsor other paintings. He paintedthem as he saw them.”
Indeed, the exhibition is apilgrimage to Kathmandu’s pastand a glimpse of the treasuresthat were vanishing even backthen in the early 1980s.Desmond had fled Calcutta toescape the squalour and becausehe could do nothing to stem therot because, as he told us, “I am
An exhibition of DesmondDoig’s less-concrete kind ofKathmandu
DANIEL HABER in DARJEELING
MIN BAJRACHARYA
U
12 INTERNATIONAL 25 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #274
SOUTHASIA BEATKanak Mani Dixit
aps define the boundaries of ourphysical lives and give us inflexiblenotions of the spaces we inhabit.
The national weather forecasts stop at ourfrontiers, the rivers flow into or out fromterra incognita.
Meanwhile, territory lost long agoremains in the schoolbooks out ofwounded pride, giving the population a
falsenotionof theshapeof the
realm. Especially in a region of fuzzyhistorical boundaries such as Southasia,maps feed national chauvinism.
The map of Southasia has otherpeculiarities as well. The most distinctiveaspect of the region is the protrusion ofpeninsular India, so that when you seeSouthasia you tend to see the outline of‘India’. The parts of the seashore definedby Pakistan’s Makran coast westward fromKarachi and the Sundarban delta ofBangladesh are non-descript bycomparison.
For decades, the hands of cartographershave trembled as they traced the outerboundaries of historical Jammu andKashmir, for fear of the disfiguring rubberstamp of some disdainful bureaucrat’sassistant declaring, ‘The boundaries asdepicted in this map are neither correct norauthentic, by order of the Home Ministryof Blah’.
Our maps segregate not only the natural
The down-side-up map
landscape (the Thar on that side and Tharon this side, Sundarban on that side andSundarban on this) but more significantlythe communities on the ground. TheSindhi speaker is separated from Sindhispeaker and the Bangla from Bangla.
The Muslim is cut off from Muslim,the Vajrayana Buddhist from VajrayanaBuddhist. The fuzzy boundary that is thedefining feature of Southasia sinceGandharan times is anathema to thecartographers’ craft, which demands sharplines in a region where all that historyoffers is a grey zone where the societiesmeet in a penumbra.
“Arreh madamji, dekhiye all of Southasiais upside down, not just your India.” Atthe Delhi Book Fair, in what were the daysof post-Kargil ultra-nationalistic fervour,the map was perceived as a slight to theBharatiya nation. The bookstall attendantsfelt intimidated enough by the publicreaction to pull the offering from the racks.
Unlike the indigenous Delhi-wallah,the South Indian visitor to the book fairwas more inclined to accept the map, forputting the peninsula on top. But it wasthe Sri Lankans who were most pleased,happy to be heading the heap rather thantrailing the edge of the Subcontinent.Residents of the town of Matara at thetip of the island’s convexity welcomeda projection that put them at theuppermost tip.
Delhi’s denizens, so used to being inthe centre of things, decided that the‘right-side-up’ representation relegatedthem to the netherworld. The fact that evenhere the Indian peninsula remains thedominant feature seemed not to wash withthis north-Indian audience. The Madrasjournalist who saw the map for the firsttime, on the other hand, had a gleam inhis eye.
All in all, the map has served to shakeviewers’ moorings just enough for them tobegin to think about another world,another Southasia. If upside-down can beright-side-up, then as Faiz Ahmed Faizsaid, perhaps the day will dawn when thedowntrodden will rule the territories. Orwords to that effect.
M Himal Southasian, thebimonthly regional magazinewhich seeks to beoccasionally irreverent,some years agocommissioned a map thatwould turn ourassumptions downside-up. Artist Subhas Rairotated the existingprojections by 180 degreesso Sri Lanka came out ontop and the Himalayaunderside. Rai spentthree monthsmeticulously working onthe project, for it had tobe accurate in allaspects, including placenames, topographicalfeatures, transport
networks and boundaries. (Download:www.himalmag.com/images/map_poster.jpg)
When the map went out, theinstinctive reaction was for everyone tounfold it the usual way and stare at theupsidedown place names. Open-mindedteachers of geography and political scienceused it to shake up students’ worldviews.But the more common reaction wasnegative, as if the interpretation had daredchallenge an article of faith.
AJNU professor of internationalrelations, no less, confronted one of themap’s perpetrators, demanding, “Why haveyou turned India upside down?!” Reply:
Not everyone likes it when the south comes on top
1325 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #274SPORTS
I
TEE BREAKDeepak Acharya
grew up playing golf at the Royal Nepal Golf Club and in those
days, golf was about trying to win club level tournaments. The
biggest accomplishment was to win the ‘Club Championship’, the
most prestigious event of all, played off scratch (no handicap) in a
matchplay format (one against one).
Back then, very rarely did anyone travel abroad to participate in
international tournaments. Things changed in 1993 after Surya’s
international tournament commenced in Kathmandu. After this,
Nepal’s golf outlook changed dramatically for everyone involved with
the sport, from professionals to general golfers, right up to those
developing golfing facilities. Just
over 20 golfers have made this
sport their profession. Likewise,
the number of golfers have
multiplied five-fold, hand-in-hand
many more golfing facilities are now available.
Spinal Injury Rehabilitations Centre Golf Tournament has certainly
helped raise the level of golf in Nepal. We don’t have many professional
tournaments, so every pro golfer and even weekend golfers, spend the
whole year in anticipation. Some wait to participate, some just want to
witness it.
Even with such interest and enthusiasm, we have yet to see a Nepali
winning. In my opinion, the lack of tournaments for professionals is a
main reason that one of our own has not been able to come out tops.
Pro golfers in Nepal have very few opportunities to compete– hardly
five tournaments in a year. This is just not enough for a person to
consider making golf their profession. Compare this to the Indian
professionals who have almost 30 major events a year to play in.
The result is that Indian standard of golf has grown tremendously
and their players have been performing better every year. As
expected, the Indian pros dominate at the Surya Nepal Masters.
To try and raise the Nepali professional from the position of the
underdog to that of the contender, Surya Nepal Pvt. Ltd has sponsored
two Nepali professionals to compete in four tournaments in the Indian
PGA tour before the Surya Masters. Right now Pashupati Sharma and
Sabin Sapkota are pitting their skills against fellow professionals on the
golf circuit.
For the rest of the professionals quite a bit of golf will be played in
the coming weeks. From 1 to 3 December, the Surya Nepal Western Open
will be played at the picturesque Himalayan Golf Course in Pokhara. The
following week the Mercantile Classic will be played at the venue of the
Surya Nepal Masters, The Gokarna Golf Club.
We are hoping these tournaments will boost local players, help fine
tune their game and give them that overall sharper edge to succeed. We
may just be fortunate this year and see a local professional win the
country’s biggest golfing event which will be played from 14-17 December
2005.
Deepak Acharya is a golf instructor and Golf Director at
Gokarna Forest Golf Resort & Spa, Kathmandu.
Golf mega monthLots of golf in coming weeks
DEEPAK ACHARYA
BIRDIE: Gyanu Thapa receiving the prize for best putting at theSpinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre Golf Tournament from SonikaDahal at the Gokarna Resort on Saturday.
14 25 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #274CITY
ABOUT TOWN
KATHMANDU VALLEY
by MAUSAM BEEDNEPALI WEATHER
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue
21-8 21-9 22-8 22-7 21-7
Every winter, be thankful we have the
Himalaya to stop the cold air blowing down
from Siberia. But the mountains also form
a barrier for the inversion haze from the
Gangetic plains, damming the dust when
the wind is from the southwest as it has
been all this week. Winds associated with
a cyclone over the Bay of Bengal are the
reason for this. But the plummeting
temperature has brought the first signs of
winter fog over the tarai. Kathmandu Valley
will also have less than 100 m visibility in
the mornings till 9AM next week, delaying
morning fl ights. The weakening sun is
further filtered by the haze, and this will
bring the maximum temperature down to
21 degrees next week. The sky will
continue to be cloudless, though, and
December in the Valley will be rainless.
EXHIBITIONSVirtual Mustang, photographs by Susan M Griffith-Jones at
Lajimpat Gallery Café, 25 November, 5.30 PM.
Around Annapurnapanorama photographs
by Andreas Stimm until
27 November at Indigo
Gallery. 4413580
Nature’s Fantasy based
on Oriental art technique
by Hare Ram Joju at
Park Gallery, until 2
December. 4419353
Images of a Lifetime featuring the works of the late Tej Bahadur
Chitrakar at NAFA Balmandir, till 5 December.
The Desmond Doig Exhibition featuring watercolors and
drawings, until 6 December at Siddhartha Art Gallery. 4438979
Photographs by Susan Griffiths Jones, until 7 December,
Lajimpat Gallery Café. 4428549
Rhythm of Forms and Colours solo exhibition by Surendra
Pradhan, at Buddha Gallery till 9 December. 4441689
FESTIVALS AND EVENTSLife Behind the Camera by Diane Summers on 25 November,
9.30 AM, Shankar Hotel.
WTO and Hong Kong Ministerial, 25 November 3PM at Martin
Chautari.
Spanish Film Festival at Russian Cultural Centre, 25-27
November
The Lovers of the Arctic Circle, 25 November, 4PM.
The Spirit of the Hive, 26 November, 3PM
Pellet El Bola, 27 November, 3PM
Ride and Rage bikers ride up to the Last Resort, 25-26
November. 4700525
Public Dog Training at 1905 Sunday 27 November, Rs 150
per session. 10-12AM. 9841-334537.
Memo & Letter Writing at ELD 28-30 November. 5555071
Reiki 1 by Elif Koksal 29 and 30 November at HBMC. 4414843
Jane Goodall Public Forum at Patan Museum, 30 November at
4PM, no admission charge, seating limited to 250 people.
Mean Streets with De Niro and Scorsese film festival at Lajimpat
Gallery Café, till 30 November. 4428549
World AIDS Day 1 December.
AWON Christmas Bajar, 3 December at Hotel Hyatt Regency.
Rs 100.
Variety Show to raise funds for the earthquake victims of
Kashmir. 3 and 4 December at Rato Bangala School and
Dhokaima Café. 5522614
MUSIC AND PERFORMANCESAavas Paleti at Nepalaya R-sala 25 November, 5.30 PM
Traditional Newa Music Concert by Tanani Bajan Khala from
Jyapu Tole 27 November at Hotel Vajra. 4271545
Ramailo Saanjh at Dwarika’s with Maya Mantra 1 December.
Rs 1000 per person, 7PM-10PM. 4479488
Winter Concert at the British School, 10 December, 3.30 PM and
6PM.
JCS Quintet at Moksh every Tuesday. 5526212
Unplugged sessions with Strings, Jatra Saturday nights.
4256622
Live Music at Juneli Bar, Hotel de l’Annapurna. 4221711
Live Jazz by the pond at 1905, Kantipath. 4225272
FOODThanksgiving Dinner with free Irish Coffee, 24, 25 and
26 November at K-too! Beer & Steakhouse. 4700043
Culinary Journey around the world in one day at Hyatt Regency
26 November.
The Sidewalk BBQ with Shades of Blue, Wednesdays,
Shangri-La. 4412999
Ciney and Par-e-jat every Friday 7PM at Dwarika’s.
Thanksgiving Dinner at Kilroy’s of Kathmandu 24, 25 and
26 November. 4250440
The Chimney Restaurant Signature dishes at Hotel Yak and Yeti.
4248999
Jazz Gourmet fine dining redefined at Hotel Shangri-La. 4412999
GETAWAYSTiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, call for reservations. 4361500
Escape Kathmandu at Shivapuri Heights Cottage.
Junglewalks, rafting, elephant rides all at Jungle Base Camp
Lodge, Bardia. [email protected]
Conferences at Godavari Village Resort. 5560675
KATHMANDU
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Call 4442220 for show timings www.jainepal.com
Deewane Huye Paagal begins as a sweet romance
between cute boy-next-door Karan and the ravishing
Tanya. When Tanya moves to Dubai, Karan’s friend
coaxes him to track her down. Karan enlists the aid of
a deceptively handsome investigator, Rocky. But Rocky
ends up falling in love with her at first sight. Meanwhile,
Tanya’s physically disabled friend Sanju also has a soft
spot for her and tries thwarting Rocky’s attempts at
getting close to Tanya.
The plot thickens when yet another unexpected party
falls in love with Tanya, thus setting up a hilarious love
pentagon.
Daily 2045-2115 BBCg]kfnL ;]jf
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Radio SagarmathaP.O. Box 6958,
Bakhundole, Lalitpur, NepalTel: ++977-1-545680, 545681,
Fax: ++ 977-1- [email protected],
www.radiosagarmatha.org
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1525 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #274HAPPENINGS
MOONIE MEET: Speaker of the House of Representatives TaranathRanabhat deep in conversation with UML leader Madab Kumar Nepal noTuesday during the International Peace Convocation at BICC organisedby Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church.
KIRAN PANDAY
UNNATURAL: Former Commander-in-Chief, Satchit SJB Rana, at theReporters Club on Wednesday, where he called the Maoist-partyagreement “unnatural”.
SPRINCELY GAZE: Crown Prince Paras chats with the vice-president ofthe Cricket Association of Nepal, Srinivas Rana, at the final match of theU-19 Asian Cricket Cup between Nepal and Malaysia, on Saturday.
NATURE MAN: Artist Hare Ram Joju with Korean Ambassador to NepalPark Sang-Hoon at the opening of his art exhibit Nature’s Fantasy atPark Gallery, Lajimpat last week.
KIRAN PANDAY
KUMAR SHRESTHA/NEPALNEWS.COM
FREE FUTURE: In a novel advertising gimmick, Digi Plus studiochartered a bus service and drove recent TU graduates to their studio inSundhara for free to have their pictures taken on Tuesday.
KIRAN PANDAY
ANUP PRAKASH
treet children everywhere,
including in Pokhara, live
from their day-to-day
earnings. Whatever they can
scrounge, beg or earn they
spend. There is nothing left for
tomorrow.
Now, Pokhara’s street kids
have set up their own Bal Bikash
Bank, where they are depositing
savings so that they have a
tomorrow.
They are not just the
depositers but also the owners,
the board of directors and the
CEO of this unique bank. The
boys and girls convince other
children to deposit money and
maintain the accounts. Now, they
are even thinking of paying
interest and re-investing and
giving out loans. All this gives a
new meaning to microcredit: little
credit for little people.
Two child rights groups,
Balhitkari Pariyojana Nepal and
Balshram Unmulan Karyakram,
are supporting the venture and
say the idea is to give the
children something to work
towards in the future.
Started in August with 26
depositors, the number has
grown to 85 and the total capital
deposited is Rs 24,000. Twelve-
year-old Sunil KC, a depositor
who also serves as bank
manager, tells us: “We are
First Children’sBank, Unlimited
thinking of investing the money
in some worthwhile venture.”
“Some of the children earn
more than Rs 100 a day working
on the streets,” says Bina Silwal
of the Balhit Pariyojana, “but we
have guidelines so that children
have to reveal where they got
their money from.”
Most of the children earn
their money scavenging plastic,
paper and metal from garbage
piles and selling it to recycling
companies. Earlier, they used to
buy cigarettes and fritter away
the money. Now they come
running to put the cash in the
bank. Says 14-yar-old Milan
Nepali: “this way I know my
money is safe and no one will
steal it.”
This Dasain some of the
children withdrew money and took
their earnings home to their
families. Marvels Parsuram
Khawas of the Samayabaddha
Karyakram: “When they know
how much money they have in the
bank, I have seen a new sense of
purpose and a new hope in the
children.” Durga Humagain in Pokhara
KESHAVA LAMICHHANE
CDO Regd No. 194/056/57 Lalitpur, Central Region Postal Regd. No. 04/058/59
25 NOVEMBER - 1 DECEMBER 2005 #27416
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ISSN
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13
UNDER MY HATKunda Dixit
Being fair tothe unfair sexNow that multinational cosmetic companies have finallyrecognised the potentially lucrative market for their lotionsand potions among Nepali maledom, we can safely say thatthis country is well on its way towards true gender equalitythat has eluded us for aeons. Finally, we men will not bediscriminated against any more on grounds of sex—especially
when one of us has aheadache.
As our womenfolk becomemore and more empoweredand self-reliant and less and
less dependent on various beauty products, it is up to usboys to take up the cudgels to preserve our craggy good looksand sturdy masculine complexion from the ravages of timeand the Earth’s gravitational pull. (Editor’s note: Make sure‘cudgel’ isn’t a rude word and report back to meimmediately.)
After fulfilling the onerous duty of holding up the sky formost of human history, we men can now safely bequeath tothe womenfolk the responsibility of holding up not just theirhalf of the sky, but also our half. This will free up our freetime so we men can engage in various pursuits that we havepreviously neglected like powdering our noses and pluckingour armpit hair.
Which is why it is a landmark event when a beautyproduct conglomerate decides after its astounding success inthe challenging sub-Saharan African market that the Nepalimale consumers are also mature enough to use its WhiteMan’s Burden
TM brand fairness cream.After all, recent surveys have shown that 80 percent of the
men in the subcontinent have had to sneak into their wives’dressing tables to steal fairness creams meant for women.(The other 20 percent dressed up as women and bought thecream from their neighbourhood drug store, according toreliable reports.)
Bio-engineers who designed the cream said at a pressconference in Kathmandu this week that since us men tendto be more thick-skinned and more hirsute, female creamswere just not strong enough for us which is why theoinkment was not yielding desirable results.
Hence this new industrial-grade White ElephantTM brandskin bleacher and exfolliator designed especially for he-menlike us. That is actually made up of a mixture of concentratedwhite enamel paint with a paraffin-based emulsion fixer.Directions for use: apply liberally on the affected dark areastwice a day after meals. And, voila, within just two days youwon’t be dark and ugly anymore, you will be fair andhandsome like Michael Jackson.
So, what are you waiting for? Visit your neighbourhoodpaint shop today and buy yourself a tube of our extra-strengthmale-only Albino Crème-de-la-CrèmeTM. It’s only fair thatsociety takes up the cudgels to be fair to the unfair sex.
This week’s column is a Special Advertorial Supplement sponsored by
Pale FaceTM
brand fairness cream for men. Registered Trade Mark,
Imitators Will Be Persecuted.
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